Get your radiators heating up faster by using common hair tool to clean them

Radiators are often overlooked when cleaning the house, meaning they can become clogged with dust. In fact, they can be a complete magnet for dust thanks to the hot and cold airflow.

As hot air rises and cold air falls, any dust in a room will be pulled towards the radiator - and that's where it will settle. While it's unsightly if you peer closely, it also means they will struggle to heat up properly.

So giving them a proper clean is essential if you want to have a warm house and lower energy bills too. Ideally, you should clean radiators once a month as dust bakes onto the hot surfaces and becomes more difficult to remove.

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But there's one trick to get rid of the dust trapped inside radiators and you'll need something you more than likely already have - a hair dryer.

Experts at Trads Cast Iron Radiators said: "Yes, you can use a hair dryer to get the dust out from the inside and down the back of the radiator. It’s also useful with column radiators, such as our cast-iron models.

“This will help you as part of a larger cleaning method, as you will have a lot of the leftover dust on the top, in between the columns and behind your radiator. The hair dryer will blow the dust into the air or onto the floor, so have your vacuum cleaner ready, too.”

Using a hair dryer on a radiator is one of the best ways to blow away any dust trapped between the fins or any other hard-to-reach areas.

Just make sure not to use the hot setting when using your hair dryer on a radiator, as it can cause dust to rise into the air and spread across the room, making more of a mess that will likely settle on the radiator later.

How to properly use a hair dryer to clean a radiator

You will need:

• A hair dryer

• A vacuum cleaning

• A long brush to clean with (such as a duster)

• A bucket of soapy water (warm water and washing up liquid)

• An old towel or sheet

• A sponge and cloth

Method:

• To begin, make sure to turn your heating off. A hot radiator will draw dust to it and can be unsafe to touch. Then simply wipe the surface of the radiator with a damp sponge and hoover underneath the radiator to get any of the outer dust. Next, put a towel under the radiator. Grab a duster and try to clean as much of the back of the radiator as you can, making sure to get into the grooves. Try to also get between the columns to clear the dust.

• Put your hair dryer on a cool or low heat setting and blow any remaining dust off the back of the radiator. Make sure to aim the nozzle at the top air vents to blow the dust downwards, and it should fall onto the towel.

• Finally, wipe down the radiator. Add some washing-up liquid in a bucket of water and clean the radiator surface. Make sure to also clean any surrounding walls as dust can stick to them as well.

• Dry the radiator with a cloth and make sure it is fully dry before turning it on again to avoid any potential rust.

• Your radiator should not be thoroughly cleaned, so your home will become toasty warm much more quickly.